1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming machine having an effect corresponding to an award to be provided for a special game and a playing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,459 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,697 specification, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0,069,073 specification, European Patent Application Publication No. 1,192,975 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,483 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,730 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,088 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,981 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,896 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,016 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,820 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,482 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,731 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,957 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,048 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,402 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,013 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,709 specification, European Patent Application Publication No. 0,631,798 specification, German Patent Application Publication No. 4,137,010 specification, British Patent Application Publication No. 2,326,830 specification, German Patent Application Publication No. 3,712,841 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,638 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,980 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,909 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,303 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,409 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,533 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,817 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,704 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,707 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,728 specification, European Patent Application Publication No. 1,302,914 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,459 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,700 specification, PCT Patent Application Publication No. 03/083,795 specification, German Patent Application Publication No. 3,242,890 specification, European Patent Application Publication No. 0,840,264 specification, German Patent Application Publication No. 10,049,444 specification, PCT Patent Application Publication No. 04/095,383 specification, European Patent Application Publication No. 1,544,811 specification, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,963 specification, European Patent Application Publication No. 1,477,947 specification, and European Patent Application Publication No. 1,351,180 specification, in a facility in which gaming machines such as slot machines are provided, a player can play a game provided by a gaming machine by making bets such as coins, credits, etc., at that gaming machine.
For example, the slot machine executes a slot game in which a plurality of symbols arranged on a display are rearranged every time a player makes bets and presses a start switch at the slot machine. Then, I the case where the symbols rearranged on a display contain a prescribed number of scatter symbols or a prescribed winning combination is realized on a payline, the slot machine makes a payout according to that content.
Furthermore, in a gaming machine typified by the slot machine described above, a special game is executed when predetermined conditions are satisfied. In many cases, the special game is a slot game that can be executed without making a bet, in other words, a free game, and is also called a feature game. In the special game typified by the free game, there is a chance to get a large payout. At the same time, the chance to get a large payout is just a probability. Thus, there is no guarantee that a large payout can always be provided in the special game.
Therefore, a provider who provides the player with games played with the gaming machine wishes to promote the special game as a chance to get a large payout to the player. However, it is a reality that the provider hesitates to make such an appeal since a large payout cannot be guaranteed to be provided to the player.